I'm Not a Pro Photographer, I'm Just an Artist

Well, to start off with, I need to be REALLY honest.



I'm NOT any kind of special, gorgeous woman. I'm just a plain woman, in my early 30s. I'm chubby, I have a kid, I still have maternity scars, and even tho' I've tried for years to do something about my weight, it's been a problem. However, I DO verifiabley have QUITE a lot of muscle. But, whatever.





So, now that I've gotten THAT out of the way, I'm going to have to just dash & bash your ideas of whatever you think I am. I'm NOT sexy, either. Seriously.

I am NOT a Pro Photographer. Sorry, I'm NOT.

I am a visual artist.

I have a Degree in Computer Animation, an education in Graphic Art (including Design), I'm educate in Fine arts, Media arts, Film/video including production 7 editing. And, I have a brief resume for it. I also worked briefly in the American Comic book industry.

To put it bluntly, I like art, and I especially love visuals.


Now, I do view photography as an art form.

While I was in college, all the traditional artists scoffed at Photo students, with the snide remarks like "they just point and click".

I, however, am NOT of this opinion. Capturing a photo is capturing a moment in time forever. So, there is a right and a wrong way to do it.

I just like BETTER looking pictures. If given the choice of having photos which look bad, OK, or good, I would choose good. Taking photos of my cherished events, memories, or vacations, to me would logically be so much better to capture the fleeting moments forever with quality.

And, yet, having said that, I've taken fairly decent photos WITHOUT a Pro camera.


To me, I use the same techniques and styles as I used for my artwork, whether it were. portraits (which I have drawn countless in my lifetime), landscapes (for which I have painted quite a number of), scenes, moods, color, or black and white. I just know what I like. But, everyone has their own likes, dislikes, and styles (if they've even developed a style yet).


I also have a preference for Adobe Photoshop. But, since I currently live in poverty, I ONLY can use Photoshop 6.0. Oh, well, better than nothing.



I have noticed that a number of visual artists, eventually take an interest in ameture Photography. However, I ALSO noticed that traditional (or digital) artists often have TOTALLY different opinions of what make a great photo. I notice that several pro photographers HATE lens flares, and use filters or tricks to get rid of them, where visual artists tend to LOVE them. Prop photographers often don;t like glare, where as visual artists like it for several situations.

So, whatever, I just do whatever I like. You do what you like.


If you were familiar with my artwork, my color styles, my compositions, you will notice my photography is often totally similar!:

http://blackunigryphon.deviantart.com/gallery/?catpath=/


I like brilliant colors, back lit scenes, lots of shine things and reflective objects, soft blurs and fog, or high contrasting black & whites.



To give you an example of what I mean, I will show some of my artwork, and compare it to my photography:


My stylized artwork:



Apis Bull of Memphis Warm Colo by ~BlackUniGryphon on deviantART


Sword Baring Vixen by *BlackUniGryphon on deviantART


Sekhmet Mystic by *BlackUniGryphon on deviantART


Descending Gryphon COLOR by *BlackUniGryphon on deviantART


Festival Stage Belly Dancer by *BlackUniGryphon on deviantART


Black UniGryphon Backside by *BlackUniGryphon on deviantART


Black UniGryphon Design 01 by ~BlackUniGryphon on deviantART


Now, compare some of my photography:



New England Pink Foliage 02 by *BlackUniGryphon on deviantART


Autumn Beauty by ~BlackUniGryphon on deviantART


New England Pink Foliage 01 by *BlackUniGryphon on deviantART


Catching Myself In Sunlight by *BlackUniGryphon on deviantART


Glare 02 by *BlackUniGryphon on deviantART


Sunkissed Maples 01 HDR by *BlackUniGryphon on deviantART


Summer Trees 02 HDR by *BlackUniGryphon on deviantART


My Christmas Ball by *BlackUniGryphon on deviantART


What The Fog 24 by *BlackUniGryphon on deviantART






Hopefully, if you're a keen visual person you'll have caught that. They are very similar. It's my style. It's what I like.

But, if you missed how thunderously obvious it was, I'll explain.:

I tend to like back lit figures/subjects, glowy lights, often colored. I like glare, high saturated colors, high contrasts, or soft blurs & foggy moods. I notice also (which I don't have an example of to show) but, I tend to photograph landscapes exactly the same way I like to hand paint them.



Sorry, but I only have a digital painted landscape to show:


Background Study Sea Sky Moon by *BlackUniGryphon on deviantART


Black Unicorn in the Mists by *BlackUniGryphon on deviantART

My hand painted landscapes are much nicer. I just don't think I have them anymore.



I will blog about my portraits later.